Animated toy



1953 w. G. FLETCHER 06,800

ANIMATED TOY Filed Nov. 20. 1961 INVENTOR. Willem G. Fletcher By Me Glew 8 Tolren ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent ice 3,106,800 ANIIVIATED TOY William G. Fletcher, 218 Linwood Ave., Bogota, NJ. Filed Nov. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 153,636 7 Claims. (Cl. 46-236) tr another and also pivotal movement of the head of this other figure for the purpose of simulating boxing.

The present invention is an improvement in toy construction, particularly in the provision of a mechanism for raising the arm of a figure or manikin when a projecting slide element of a mounting base for the figure is moved. The figure or manikin is arranged to cooperate with a similar figure or manikin for the purpose of simulating a bOXing bout or match between the two figures. Each of the figures is adapted to be manipulated by a child into a favorable position for effecting the raising of an arm of one of the figures for effecting the striking of the other figure on a projecting jaw formed on a part of a pivotal head of this latter figure. The head which is struck by the arm will thereupon pivot upwardly after the force of the punch overcomes the attracting force of a magnet holding it in a normal position on the shoulder of the figure. Means are thereafter efiected to cause a loud noise when the head pivots back and strikes the rear portion of the shoulder. (The noise is advantageously produced by the backward movement of the head to cause it to strike an explosive cap or similar noise making arrangement.

A feature of the construction is that the figures include strong magnets mounted in the front portion of the base to cause attraction of the figures together. This has the effect of propelling the figures toward one another when they are released by an operator to cause them to move together under magnetic attraction and effect the punching of one figure by the other. The figures are mounted on the base portion so that the arm portion of the manikin is operated only when the manikin is on a predetermined side of the other manikin. If the reverse is true the other manikins arm will operate to strike the jaw of the opposite manikin.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an improved toy construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy including an animated figure having means thereon for raising an arm thereof in response to the figure being contacted by another device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of cooperable animated figures adapted to box which include means for moving an arm of each one of the figures to cause the arm to strike a projecting jaw on the head of another of the figures.

A further object of the invention is to provide a set of animated figures having base portions which are magnetically attractable and including a pivotal head structure on at least one thereof which is adapted to permit pivotal backward movement of the head upon the head being struck by the arm of the other of the manikins.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy manikin set which includes means for maneuvering the manikins together for the purpose of simulating boxing.

-A further object of the invention is to provide a toy manikin set which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 3,105,800 Patented Oct. 15, 1963 of manikins constructed in accordance with the invention;

and'

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the manikins indicated in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein includes a set of fighting manikins generally designated 10 and 12 which are mounted on base members 14 and 16, respectively. The base members are advantageously made of wood, plastic or similar material. Each manikin 10 and 12 comprises a body portion 18 with right and left arms 20 and 22, respectively. In the embodiment illustrated, the right arm 20 of each manikin is mounted for pivotal movement under the influence of an actuating mechanism.

In accordance with the invention, the actuating mechanism includes a slidable block member 24 which normally projects outwardly from a forward wall 26 of each block 14 and 16. When the manikins are positioned, as indicated in FIG. 2, the manikin 10 has been maneuvered to a position at which it can strike an abutting jar 28 on a head portion 30 of the opposite manikin. In this position the sliding block 24, which is accommodated in the groove of the block 14, is depressed by the front wall 26 of block 16 and it swings a lever arm 32 having a large sized gear 34, which is rotatably mounted about an axle 36 located at shoulder height on the manikin 10. Rotation of the gear 34 produced by sliding of the block 24 in the bore of the mounting block 14 causes rotation of a gear 38 affixed to the arm 20 to rotate the arm about a pivot 40. The arm 20 is moved upwardly by such rotation through a path which will normally cause it to strike the jaw 28 and cause the head 30 to pivot in a clockwise direction, as indicated in FIG. 1, on a pivotal connection 42 on the top of the manikin 12. Before the head 30 pivots backwardly, the arm 20 must strike the chin 28 with sufficient force to overcome an attractive force of a magnet 41 holding the head downwardly by magnetic attraction on the shoulder of the figure or manikin 12.

In order to enhance the play value of the device, an upper shoulder portion 44 is formed on each manikin 10 and 12 in a position behind a striking portion 46 formed on the heads 30. Means, such as an exploding cap, may be placed on the striking ledge 44 so that when the head is pivoted backwardly by the force of the hand 48 striking the head 30 of the opposite manikin, the portion 46 will detonate the cap to cause a loud noise.

A feature of the invention is that the forward portions adjacent the wall 26 of the 'blocks 14 and 16 are provided with high strength magnets 50 which cause the attraction of the two bases 14 and 16. Thus, once the figures are positioned within the magnetic field they may be released and permitted to come together to cause the fighting action.

It should be appreciated that the child may achieve additional play value by maneuvering the manikins so that they are in a position to effect striking of the opposite manikin. For example, in FIG. 2, the manikin 10 is in a position in which the arm 20 is located to land a blow on the chin 28 of the manikin 12. The manikin 12, on the other hand, is not in such a position and its projecting block 24 is not pushed back by the front face 26 of the opposite block 14, as is the case with the projecting block 24 of the block 16. When the manikin 12 is maneuvered so that it is on the opposite side of the Q a manikin 10, the animated hand, which for manikin 12 is the left arm 22, will be in a position to strike the jaw 28 of the opposite manikin 10.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

Each of the block members 14 and 16 advantageously includes a downwardly extending portion 60 and 62, respectively, which extends through an elongated slot 64 defined on a base plate member 66. The portions 60 and 62 include widened bases 68 and 70, respectively, which prevent upward withdrawal of the blocks and the figures from the base plate 66 and thus limit the upward movement of the figures during their manipulation in the simulation of the boxing. The bases 68 and 70 are made sufiiciently wide to span a very wide slot 64 in order to permit lateral manipulation of the figures.

What is claimed is:

1. An animated toy comprising a mounting base, a manikin on said base, said manikin having an arm pivotally connected thereto, a member movable in said base and extending outwardly from an end thereof in a position for engagement with a similar mounting base, said member being connected to said arm in a manner to rotate said arm through an upwardly extending path upon movement of said member.

2. An animated toy according to claim 1, including a head pivotally connected to said manikin at the upper end thereof.

3. An animated toy according to claim 1, including a striking area formed on the upper portion of said manikin directly below the back of its head, said head being pivotally mounted and movable to cause a portion of said head to contact said striking area.

4. An animated toy according to claim 1, including a magnet on the mounting base of said manikin arranged to cause magnetic attraction of said mounting base with a similar mounting base.

5. A pair of cooperable toy elements each comprising first and second mounting bases, first and second manikins mounted on respective ones of said bases, at least said first manikin having an arm rotatably mounted on the upper portion thereof, said first manikin including a block element slidable in said first mounting base and having a portion projecting outwardly therefrom for contact with said second mounting base, means connected between said block element and said arm to rotate said arm upon movement of said block element, said second manikin having a head pivotally mounted to the upper end thereof with a projecting jaw disposed for contact by theend of the arm of said first manikin when the manikinsare positioned together in a predetermined manner, said head portion being pivotal to cause rotation about said pivot when the jaw is struck by the arm portion of the other of said manikins.

6. A pair of cooperable toy elements according to claim 5, wherein said second manikin includes a second arm rotatable about a pivot on the upper portion thereof and said first manikin includes a pivotally mounted head portion adapted to be contacted by the arm of said second manikin when the manikins are positioned in a predetermined manner.

7. A pair of cooperable toy elements according to claim 6, including a second block element slidable in said second mounting base connected to said second arm for rotating said arm, said second block element projecting outwardly from said second base, said first and second block elements being located on opposing ends of said mounting bases when the manikins are positioned together in a predetermined manner, whereby said bases must be maneuvered to cause the movement of said sliding block elements by the opposite base for effecting the desirable fighting action;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,716,840 Armstrong Sept. 6, 1955 

5. A PAIR OF COOPERABLE TOY ELEMENTS EACH COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND MOUNTING BASES, FIRST AND SECOND MANIKINS MOUNTED ON RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID BASES, AT LEAST SAID FIRST MANIKIN HAVING AN ARM ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, SAID FIRST MANIKIN INCLUDING A BLOCK ELEMENT SLIDABLE IN SAID FIRST MOUNTING BASE AND HAVING A PORTION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM FOR CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND MOUNTING BASE, MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID BLOCK ELEMENT AND SAID ARM TO ROTATE SAID ARM UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID BLOCK ELEMENT, SAID SECOND MANIKIN HAVING A HEAD PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO THE UPPER END THEREOF WITH A PROJECTING JAW DISPOSED FOR CONTACT BY THE END OF THE ARM OF SAID FIRST MANIKIN WHEN THE MANIKINS ARE POSITIONED TOGETHER IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER, SAID HEAD PORTION BEING PIVOTAL TO CAUSE ROTATION ABOUT SAID PIVOT WHEN THE JAW IS STUCK BY THE ARM PORTION OF THE OTHER OF SAID MANIKINS. 